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By the time Bruce Arians was officially hired in 2013 – Jan. 17 – seven other head coaching vacancies had been filled.

There were questions at the time about what kind of coach Arians would be for the Cardinals, but team president Michael Bidwill and General Manager Steve Keim were convinced he was the right choice. They were proven correct, not only with Arians’ successes over five seasons but also in the fact he outlasted six of the other coaching hires before retiring this week.

So when Bidwill said he didn’t want to turn the team’s current coaching search into a race, it is with that most recent search in mind.

The Cardinals have gotten the interview process underway. Current defensive coordinator James Bettcher was the first to interview. Anticipated interviews with Falcons special teams coach Keith Armstrong and Steelers offensive
line coach Mike Munchak have been announced by each of those teams’ head coaches.

Wednesday, Bidwill declined to get into the specifics of the team’s candidate list.

All of those coaches are in the postseason and all are governed by NFL rules when they can – and cannot – talk. Those rules will help dictate the Cardinals’ pace.

But so will Bidwill, who feels it is important for candidates who aren’t in Arizona for their initial interview to visit the team’s facilities.

“That’s an important part,” Bidwill said. “Especially for those who don’t know the organization well, haven’t seen our training facility, haven’t seen our stadium except maybe for a game, haven’t gotten a chance to get to know the staff here. … Get a feel for the vibe.”

Bidwill reiterated what both he and Keim said Monday, that the roster, facilities and organization makes the Cardinals a desirable coaching job. He understands the question of the quarterback vacancy now that Carson Palmer has retired, but noted the Cards didn’t have a quarterback when Arians was first hired either – and that turned out OK.

There is cap space gained with Palmer gone, Bidwill noted, and a trade/free agency along with the draft will solve the QB issue – with the new coach’s help.

“We’ve got options,” Bidwill said. “To me, if you are a coach, do you want to have a quarterback in place, or have the option of being a part in deciding who that quarterback is?”

After coming off of a tough loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Los Angeles Rams rebounded at home with a dominating performance against the hottest team in football, the New Orleans Saints, winning 26-20.

The game was not at close as the final score indicates, nor are the stats. Take away Saints RB Alvin Kamara’s 74-yard run for a TD and the final drive in garbage time, and the Rams would’ve won 26-6 by holding Sean Payton’s explosive offense behind QB Drew Brees to a mere 197 yards of total offense.

The Rams came away with a solid win against a quality team, unlike last week. In this game all phases of the Rams team, offense, defense and special teams, absent occasional inexplicable lapses, played well.

Even without WR Robert Woods being inactive due to injury, the other Ram players needing big games, WR Cooper Kupp and TE Tyler Higbee, stepped up. Neither two had the dropsy’s which affected them against Minnesota. Rookie WR Josh Reynolds took advantage of his opportunity and WR Sammy Watkins came through as the “go-to guy.”

Going down the stretch with just five games left, the Rams are poised to make their improbable run to the playoffs. By winning this past weekend, the Rams proved they could bounce back from a bad game. Credit for the Rams’ resurgence as a contender goes to Head Coach Sean McVay and his entire staff who kept the team focused after the beatdown from the Vikings a week ago.

As good as this victory feels now, there were still some glaring mistakes that have plagued the Rams throughout the season that have to be corrected sooner rather then later. With only five games left, the Rams don’t have a lot of time to fix these things. If the Rams want to be a participant in Super Bowl LI rather then among the other 30 teams watching at home, these things need to be corrected.
The Defense Can’t Give Up Big Running Plays

The Rams were on the verge of breaking the game wide open in the first quarter after opening up an early 10-0 lead. After the touchback, the Saints were on their own 25-yard line to start another series. All the defense had to do was get a stop to get the ball back on offense. Having scored on their first two drives of the game, the Saints would have been forced to alter their entire game plan if the Rams scored again.

Instead on 2nd and 9 from the Saints’ own 26-yard line, Kamara broke to the right and gashed the Rams’ run defense for 74-yard touchdown run.

This has not been the first time the Rams’ defense has allowed a RB like Kamara to change the momentum of the game when the Rams were on the verge of crushing their opponent. It happened with Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette. Once into the 2nd level, a missed tackle later and Kamara was deep in the Rams’ secondary down the sidelines virtually untouched, leaping into the end zone for the score.

How does this happen?

I’m not one of those observers who give credit to the opposing team for a job well done when a run play like that is executed. That’s just bad defense. I’d rather get burned on a well-executed pass play.

Defense is about going to wherever the football goes. Follow the ball and invariably a defender will find one’s self in place to make the tackle. It’s one thing if a single defensive player whiffs with an arm tackle or gets faked out of his shoes. You still have to ask “Where are the other 10 players?”

It can’t be Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips dialing up the wrong defense since no one schemes to allow a running back to waltz into the end zone. Something is not right and most likely it has to be in the middle with LBs Alec Ogeltree and Mark Barron sliding too far the wrong way. They can’t get caught overpursuing where they think the ball is going. It puts them out of position to make the play when it goes the other way. Slide, but don’t slide that much away from the middle. In addition, the safeties and corners, upon spotting the play develop, must at the very least make a play to slow down the running back rather then engaging in a vain arm tackling attempt to bring the runner down. By actually engaging the running back, it will slow him down as help is always on the way. It may go for big gain, but at least it won’t go for a touchdown.

Some will argue that this is being picky. I’m not one of those people.

This must be priority one for a Rams defense if the team is going to make any kind of run in the next five games or the playoffs for that matter. In tight games, as most playoff games are, one score can make the difference. Worse is the fact that the Rams have been prone to giving up these types of momentum-changing runs, which will kill them in the playoffs, if they get there–it’s horrible defense and inexplicable.

In the Saints’ game, another problem the Rams had was dropping sure interceptions. Corners and safeties are wide receivers without hands; nonetheless, a lineman can catch a ball thrown right to him.

There were at least three or four instances where the football thrown by Brees looked intended moreso for a defender then a Saints target, but Rams CBs Trumaine Johnson and Kayvon Webster dropped the rock.

Make the plays that you need to make that’s what you’re paid to do.
Take Advantage of Good Field Position

The Rams have the uniqueness of having one of the best, if not the best, special teams units in the league. When PR Pharoh Cooper puts your offense at or over the 50-yard line, the Rams offense must take advantage of the opportunity of getting at least one first down and just enough yards for a PK Greg Zuerlein field goal–even better if they can score a touchdown.

With 12:34 in the 3rd quarter and the Rams leading 20-10, Cooper got the Rams to their own 49-yard line. All the offense needed to do was go 15-yards and the ball would be in field goal range for Mr. Automatic. Watching the game from the confines of the Coliseum, Rams fans thought for sure this would be the moment that offense was going to put up six, or at worst three more points. Anything at that point would’ve really would’ve put the Saints behind the ball.

Instead, the Rams choked.

They went three and out. Worse, they lost eight yards on a pass to WR Tavon Austin due to Tavon being Tavon Austin. On third down, the Rams threw in the towel and ran the ball with RB Todd Gurley for a minimal gain and in came the punt team. Rather then coming away with the minimum FG, the Rams did nothing which kept the Saints in the game.

This was a clear blown chance. The Rams must take advantage of their special teams doing their job by putting their offense in the position to score points by doing just that moving forward.

One could also complain about the red zone offense not coming away with touchdowns, bnut this was a problem for New Orleans as well. That’s a push since both teams have good defenses.
The Penalties on Special Teams

The Rams’ special teams played terrific. Cooper, Zuerlein and P Johnny Hekker played up to expectations. Yet, there are some things that can make the special teams even better—staying away for the inevitable block in the back penalty.

This penalty is so often thrown on punt returns, fans expect it. The rule of thumb is this—if you can read the name of your opponent, don’t put your hands on him. Running beside him even a shoulder push will be called a block in the back depending on the referee’s angle of vision. Stay with him and screen oneself between him and where he’s going to—the ball.

Once the player tries to go through you, at that point you can block him. There’s nothing illegal about a shoulder shove, just remember depending on the angle of the referee its more then likely interpreted as a shove in the back when the defender flops onto the ground.

The reason this is pet peeve of mine is that the Rams’ special teams are really good. I don’t like to see great runbacks giving the offense good field position ruined by a silly block in the back which could been avoided, especially if the block is away from the play. One can easily blame the ref, but that will get you nowhere. You’re wasting your breath.

Finally, don’t block a gunner when he’s out of bounds. If you find yourself in the midst of a bunch of players, you’re out of bounds so stay away from the temptation to block in that area.

This was a quality win for the Rams and a very impressive one at that. Rams fans have to like what they saw Sunday.

The Detroit Lions narrowly avoided losing a trap game against the NFL’s worst team Sunday before they mounted a fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Cleveland Browns.

Then they did something even more impressive and tried to spin a narrative about how great the 0-9 Browns are. Remember, the Browns’ home is a place nicknamed “The Factory of Sadness.”

The Lions climbed a few spots in the playoff hunt. But the only national buzz they generated Monday came from Glover Quin’s statement that the Browns probably have better athletes than “25 out of the 32 teams in the league.” Coach Jim Caldwell also tried to explain that the Browns have good players.

These are the things teams tell themselves to feel better. They are justifications that excuse their own shortcomings.

Now, the Lions face another trap game this week in Chicago. Like the Browns, the Bears are an opponent the Lions should dominate. But how much confidence does anyone have that the Lions can do that?

The Lions are going to go into the spin cycle again this week. What we won’t hear from coaches and players is the obvious. That Bears coach John Fox is on the brink of being fired. That the Bears are 3-6 and so hopeless that 5,624 fans skipped Sunday’s game at Soldier Field against their most-hated rival, the Green Bay Packers.

It was just as well. Those Bears fans didn’t have to sit around and watch Mitchell Trubisky get sacked five times. Or watch their run game rack up 55 yards in a 23-16 loss. Or watch the defense allow Brett Hundley, making the third start of his career, to post a 110.8 passer rating.

The Bears stink like a Bear doing his business in the woods. So, I’m going to do the Lions a favor and preemptively offer all the excuses they’re sure to offer this week for why the Bears are good. This way, the Lions don’t have to waste any energy coming up with dumb ideas. That’s why I’m here: dumb ideas. You’re welcome, Lions.

Excuse No. 1: Division games are always tough

That’s a myth perpetuated by the frequency of games in the division. Just because you play an opponent often and develop a certain amount of animosity toward them doesn’t mean the games are tough or that the opponents are good. The Bears, who are 0-3 against the NFC North, are going to play the nail to every division opponents’ hammer the rest of the season.
Excuse No. 2: The Bears have beaten good teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Carolina Panthers

If you want an instant headache, watch the crime against football otherwise known as the Bears’ 23-17 overtime win over Pittsburgh in September. If you want to watch someone turn in a winning lottery ticket, watch safety Eddie Jackson return two turnovers for 151 yards and touchdowns in a 17-3 win over Carolina.
Excuse No. 3: The Bears have a good defense

This one, I’m willing to give on. But just a little. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is the only thing saving the Bears’ bacon. The defense ranks ninth overall, 10th against the pass, 16th against the run and 13th in points allowed per game. They have good front-seven players in Akiem Hicks, Leonard Floyd, Nick Kwiatkoski and Pernell McPhee. But linebacker Danny Trevathan has been hurt and cornerback Kyle Fuller hasn’t lived up to his first-round draft status.
Excuse No. 4: Soldier Field is a tough place to play

Sure, when Mike Ditka was prowling the sidelines and Mike Singletary was playing linebacker. But Soldier Field is only a tough venue now because of the terrible condition of its grass, thanks to the Chicago Park District.
Excuse No. 5: John Fox is a veteran coach who has taken two teams to the Super Bowl

That’s true. It’s also true Fox is about to end his head coaching career after a three-year disaster that has made the Great Chicago Fire look like a mild flare-up by comparison. Fox and Caldwell threw two of the worst challenge flags on Sunday. I’d like to see a showdown between the coaches, who meet in the middle of the field at 20 paces to see who can initiate the dumber challenge.

There is no conceivable reason for the Lions to lose Sunday in Chicago. No reason at all. But that doesn’t mean the Lions won’t try to provide one.